St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1887-12-03


This Gospel we'll, like the we'll spoken
of in the text, is well of Bethlehem
David had known hundreds OF wells OF
water, but he wanted to drink from thai
particular one, and he thought nothing
could slake his thirst like that. And un
less your soul and mine can get access tc
the Fountain open for sin and urclean
ness, we must die. That fountain is the
well of Bethlehem. 1t was dug in the
night 1t was dug by the light of lantern
the star that hung down over the man
ger. 1t was dug not at the gate of Cesar
palaces, not in the park of Jerusalem
bargain-maker. 1t was dug in barn. The
camels lifted their weary heads to listen
as the work went on. The shepherds
unable to sleep, because the heavens
were filled with bands of music, came
down to see the opening of the well
The angels of God, at the first gush OF
the living water. dipped their chalices OF
Joy into it, and drank to the health OF
earth and Heaven, as they cried, GLORY
to God in the highest, and on earth
peace" Sometimes in our modern barns
the water is brought through the pipes
of the city to the very nostrils OF the
horses or cattle; but this well in the
Bethlehem barn was not so much for the
beasts that perish as for our race thirst
smitten,. desert-traveled and SIMEON
struck. Oh, my soul, weary with sin,
stoop down and drink to-day out of that
Bethlehem well.
AS the hart panteth after the water
brook, so my soul panteth after Thee, O
God You would get better under
standing of this amidst the Adirondacks
in summer time. Here comes a swift
footed deer. The hounds are close on
the track; it has leaped chasms and
scaled cliffs; it Is tagged out; its eyes
are rolling in death; its tongue is lolling
from its foaming mouth. Faster the
deer, faster the dogs, until it plunges
follow it no further, and it puts down it's
head and mouth until the nostril is clean
submerged in the cool wave, and | under
stand it: "As the hart panteth for the
WATERPROOF, so panteth my soul
after Thee, o! God" Oh! bring me
water from that we'll Little child, who
has learned of Jesus in the Sabbath
school, bring me some Of that living
water. Old man, who fifty years ago
didst find the well, bring me some of that
water. Stranger in a strange land, who
used to hear sung amidst the Highlands
of Scotland, to the tune of Bonnie
Doom" The Star, the Star of Beth
lehem," bring me some of that water.
Whosoever drinketh of that water shall
never thirst "Oh that one would give
me drink of the water of the well of Beth
lehem, which is by the gate"
Again, this Gospel we'll, like the one
spoken of in the text, is captured well.
David remembered the time when that
good water of Bethlehem was in the pos
session of his ancestors. His father
drank there, his mother drank there. He
remembered how the water tasted when
he was boy, and came up there from
play. We never forget the old we'll we
used to drink out of when we were boys
or girls. There was something in it that
blessed the lips and refreshed the brow
better than anything we have found
since. AS we think Of that dear old well,
the memories of the past flow into each
other like crystalline drops, sum- linted,
and all the more as we remember
that the hands that used to lay
beat against the well-curb, are still now
We never get over these "reminiscences.
George P. Morris, the great song-writer
of this country, once said to me that his
sohg, "Woodman, Spare that Tree" was
sung in great concert-hall, and the
of early life were so wrou ght
upon the audience by that song that,
after the singing was DONE an aged man
arose in the audience, overwhelmed with
and said, "Sir, will you please
to tell me whether the woodman really
spared the t1ee?' We never forget the
Tree under which we played. We never
forget the fountain at which we drank.
Alas for the man who has no early memo
ries
David thought of that well, that boy
hood well, and he wanted drink of it,
out he remembered that the Philistines
lad captured it. When those three men
;ried to come up to the well in behalf of
David they saw swords cleaning around
about it. And this is true of this Gospel
we'll. The Philistines have at times cap
ured it. When we come to take full,
old-fashioned drink of pardon and COM
ort. do not their swords of indignation
md sarcasm flash? Why, the skeptics
ell us that we cannot come to that
ountain! They say the water is not fit to
rink anyhow "If you are really thirsty
low, there is the well of philosophy,
here is the well of art, there is the well
If science" They try to substitute, in
tead of our boyhood faith, modern
mixture. They say great many beauti-
ul things about the soul, and they try to
eed our immortal hunger on rose-leaves,
md mix mint-julep of worldly stimu
ants, when nothing will satisfy US but |
"a drink of the water of the well of Beth
chem, which is at the gate" They try
o starve us on husks when the Fathers |
'anquet is ready and the best ring is taken |
rom the casket, and the sweetest harp is |
truck for the music. and the swiftest |
DOT is already lifted for the dance
they patroniZe Heaven and abolish hell, |
nd try to measure eternity with their
our-glass, and the throne of the great
Tod with their yard-stick! | abhor it.
tell you the old Gospel well is cap
ured well. pray God that there may
re somewhere in the elect host three
men, with courage enough to
o forth in the strength of the omnipo
ent God, with the glittering swords of
ruth, to hew the way back again to that
Id well. l think the tide is turning, and
hat the old Gospel is to take its place
gain in the family, and in the university,
nd in the legislative hail.. Men have
ried worldly PHILOSOPHERS, and have